At the end of last Sunday's AIB Leinster senior club hurling final I was doing my final wrap-up report for Off the Ball on Oulart the Ballagh’s victory over Cuala when a lady from Oulart said "and not before time" just after I had finished. For practical reasons most press boxes are above or away from the crowd but that’s not the case in Netwatch Cullen Park, Carlow, with only a desk separating supporters from media in a stand that generates quite a noise when it's full.
Oisin's scenic view from the press box
I love sitting among the crowd as it gives a real sense of how fans are feeling throughout the rollercoaster that is a final but I was surprised the Oulart fans were sitting back in their seats throughout the match rather than nervously teetering on the edge given their previous hurt at this stage.
Maybe it’s because their camogie side have won two All-Irelands and therefore have dampened down a craving for success but there wasn't a sense of panic or edge among those clad in black and red on Sunday. The sense of relief at the final whistle came partly because of their previous six losses in finals and partly because of Cuala‘s rally for the last twenty minutes which gave them a real fright after Garret Sinnott's kicked goal looked to have put the game beyond Mattie Kenny’s side early in the second half .
In winter, hurling the ruck and dirty ball, literally due to the mud, are even more important than in summer and winning that dirty ball creates a noise almost equal to a score among the supporters. Oulart won almost all the dirty ball for the first 40 minutes which got an already lively crowd behind them as they built up a healthy eight point lead before half-time. Manager Frank Flannery has brought a level of calm to Oulart who always look comfortable in possession and have found a style of play that brings their forwards into the game with Kirwan, Mythen and Storey all contributing on the scoreboard. Credit too must go to former Wexford forward Rory Jacob who wasn’t afraid to drop deep and defend.
While the excitement grew in the stand, the steely focus never wavered among Oulart throughout the game with Sinnott not even celebrating after scoring his goal instead running back into position ready to contest the next ball. The South Eastern side were outscored nine points to three however in the final quarter but so solid was the defence the Dubliners never looked like scoring the goal they needed. The final whistle brought with it an emotional volcano as happy lava flowed all over the pitch and into the stand as the barrier to Leinster success had finally been knocked. In his post-match interview, Oulart midfielder David Redmond said that it wasn’t just the players who suffered heartbreak in the past and that the fans needed this win as much as the players. Ask any Mayo or Waterford supporter and they’ll be in full agreement that coming close only to be denied can be the cause of major sports anguish.
For now the parishes of Oulart and The Ballagh are happy with Leinster but can they dare to dream of All-Ireland success? For the fans that more of a New Year worry.
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